Gourmets in gumboots

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This was published 12 years ago

Gourmets in gumboots

Cheese ... Damien and Bess Noxon of Main Ridge Dairy.

Cheese ... Damien and Bess Noxon of Main Ridge Dairy.

Sue Wallace enjoys farmhouse hospitality as the coastal food and wine region opens its doors to visitors in search of flavour.

'You won't get fresher than that," says Neville Hutchins, one of the Mornington Peninsula's well-known characters, as he slaps a good-looking snapper on the counter.

Hutchins should know - he has been casting nets in the waters off Fishermans Beach on the peninsula since he was a young tacker.

Fishing has been a way of life for the Hutchins clan since their forebears began baiting lines for a living in the late 1860s.

Neville and his brother Dalton sell their daily catch from their boat shed on the beach and they have a steady stream of devotees.

Hutchins is the first producer I meet on a gumboot meander tour devised by Mornington Peninsula food lover and chef Jason Goldingay.

Passionate about the region and its fresh produce and wines, he likes sharing his knowledge with others.

Goldingay organises produce tours that criss-cross the peninsula, stopping at farm gates, back doors and tiny kitchens to meet local producers, growers, winemakers and cooks with one thing in common - a passion for what they do.

"I love it down here," says Goldingay, who has been nicknamed the Gumbooted Chef because of his wanderings.

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"There's such a bounty of fresh local produce and people are passionate about using local produce in season - not just what's imported in the supermarket."

"There are so many characters around here and everyone is so keen about what they are producing and happy to talk to people who are genuinely interested in food and wine."

Goldingay grew up in Glasgow's suburbs, where he says "deep-fried Mars bars" were considered upmarket. He inherited his love of fresh, wholesome produce from his mother and grandmother, who ran a deli.

Strawberries are our next focus and we head to nearby Sunny Ridge Strawberry Farm, Australia's biggest strawberry producer. The third-generation business, operated by the Gallace family since 1964, grows plump strawberries and sells strawberry toppings, jams, ice-cream and strawberry wines and ciders.

Majestic, Cal Giant, Albion and Sabrosa strawberries are ripe for picking. We head out to pick our own and can't resist eating a few along the way.

Next, I am pulling on a protective white bee suit and veil, thick gloves and ensuring every patch of flesh is covered as we venture to see bees at work.

While the bees buzz around contentedly, Goldingay, who is also a keen apiarist, explains honey production and the insects' habits.

Goldingay says he is constantly surprised by the variety of produce available on the Mornington Peninsula and has no regrets about moving from Melbourne, where he worked as a chef.

"It is amazing down here; there's such rich soil and everything grows so well," he says.

He loves the paddock-to-plate concept and believes in using in-season produce.

Back in the car, we head down Prossors Lane to Red Hill Kitchen, where Bernie Furness fills his tiny shop with an array of delicious treats.

The aroma of freshly cooked caramelised onion and goat's cheese tarts and braised duck pies wafts from the kitchen. Furness has just pulled the treats from the oven but they won't last long; a stream of loyal customers visits his tiny shop, which is attached to the farmhouse.

Furness makes everything from scratch, including his own pastry and bread. He loves being able to step out from his shop to pick fresh produce from his garden to be used in pies, tarts and sweet treats.

His preserves are equally good and there is a constant demand for his blackberry, raspberry and cherry jams as well as chutneys and sauces.

Furness, a former chef, says he escaped from Melbourne's "rat race", where he spent 15 years working long hours in French restaurants. "I fell in love with the peninsula a few years back," he says.

"I love it down here; it's a place where I can practise my profession - making delicious cakes, pies and tarts without the worry of a restaurant."

Nearby cherry grower Trevor Holmes, of Red Hill Cherry Farm, says the Mornington Peninsula's volcanic soil is ideal for growing the fruit. His family has been farming the area since the 1890s.

It looks set to be a good season for cherries with rich pickings until mid-January.

"People love to pick their own cherries because they are so fresh and taste so much better than what is in the supermarkets," Holmes says.

Damien Noxon and his wife, Bess, who run Main Ridge Dairy, which produces award-winning goat's cheese, are also passionate about the area.

A taste test in their smart "cheesery" includes Cashmere, a spreadable fresh goat's curd, and Caprinella, a mild, moist, semi-hard cheese named after the Noxon's eldest daughter Ella, who, according to Noxon, prefers it to chocolate and ice-cream.

Step outside and you may see Netty, Stacey and Naomi munching away under shady gumtrees in a nearby paddock.

The "gals" are favourites of the Noxons, who have names for all their milking goats.

"Those three always walk close to us at milking time and enjoy a pat and a bit of a rub - you can't help but look out for them," Noxon says.

Visitors can also get up close and personal with Netty, Stacey and Naomi on a dairy milking tour most Saturdays.

Our tour over, we settle down to a picnic hamper full of local goodies among the vineyards back at Lindenderry at Red Hill, a great base for a stay on the Mornington Peninsula.

Lindenderry, which includes a secluded 40-room hotel, has a country estate feel. It also has an impressive art collection, including works by Roy Churcher, Michael Cartwright, John Coburn, Peter D. Cole and Rod Dudley.

Outdoors, sculptures by national and international artists are set amid sprawling lawns, rose gardens and vineyards. The sculptures include The Journey by Michael Cartwright and Primary composition - Modern #7 by Peter D. Cole, along with works by local Gordon Studio Glassblowers Eileen Gordon and Grant Donaldson.

The area's rich bounty is featured on the menu at the Linden Tree Restaurant, which overlooks a cypress-lined avenue with views to Red Hill's rolling landscape. The Lindenderry at Red Hill Cellar Door is also open for wine tastings and light lunches every weekend.

Sue Wallace was a guest of Tourism Victoria.

FAST FACTS

Staying there

Lindenderry at Red Hill, 142 Arthurs Seat Road, Red Hill. Phone 5989 2933, see lancemore.com.au.

The Gumboot Meander package is available to guests staying at Lindenderry at Red Hill, with tour inclusions tailored to the seasons. Packages with overnight accommodation, full country-style breakfast, a half-day guided Gumboot tour complete with transport and tastings and a Lindenderry picnic lunch hamper cost from $750 a couple.

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